Do You Care?
by Jenny1751
Summary: Tsuna knew that deep down inside, Reborn didn't really care about him. What they had wasn't a personal relationship, it was all just business. R27 Two or Three-shot, depending on my mood. First KHR fanfic :3 I think I made Reborn OOC, you decide.
1. He Doesn't Care

**HEY! So here's my very first KHR fanfic :3 I hope it came out good, but to be honest it's a bit rushed. It took less than a day to write this, and my time on the computer is very limited since there are several of us waiting in line to use this :P As I write this, my dad is complaining and asking me when I'll be done -_-**

 **Anyway, at first I was going to write an 1827 fanfic, but that's something I'm working on on my phone. I have multiple ideas but they're not quite done yet so look forward to it! This is something that popped into my head on my way home from school and I decided to write it because of the slow internet connection. (Nothing much I could do since I planned on watching a movie or anime). This is a possible three-shot. But I have limited time on the internet so it's probably going to be updated sometime next week. Please be patient!.**

 **For those who follow me and the stories I write... I am so sorry. I jumped into another fandom and my obsession with KHR hasn't really faded yet, so I don't know when I'll be able to get back into the mood of writing and finishing my other stories... Please don't hate me T^T**

 **Anyway, this chapter has 1,226 words not including A/N! Pretty short -_- Yeah, sorry about that.**

 **Hope you enjoy ~ !**

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Reborn didn't care about Tsuna.

At least, that was what the Vongola heir believed. He may be "no-good Tsuna" but at the very least he wasn't completely stupid. He knew that there was no way Reborn genuinely cared about him.

Reborn was a hitman, the number one in the world at that, he was smart, strong, skilled and simply just amazing. Tsuna may often question the man's methods for getting things done, but he couldn't deny that he had a great deal of respect for the former arcobaleno. How couldn't he? Reborn was an experienced mafioso, a genius in many aspects (if you couldn't tell by his multiple degrees) and can even be considered a gentleman; he was a true professional.

Just like their relationship, purely professional.

As a hitman, Reborn had a strong control of his emotions. He rarely let them get the best of him and so it never gets in the way of his work. No matter what it was, he would perform his duties smoothly. Whether it was an order to kill, suicide missions, or even something as simple as ridiculous as training a useless middle schooler to be a mafia boss, he'll successfully carry out any job. And one of the keys to his success was his lack of emotional attachment. It's what leads him to kill as if he was merely swatting a fly, to lie with such ease which makes infiltrating so easy, to not let his guard down even if he was facing a woman or a child because in their line of work you can trust no one. He feels no panic, guilt, remorse, pity or sympathy.

It sometimes makes Tsuna wonder if the man can feel love.

Tsuna first realized all this during the Kokuyo incident, when he first met Mukuro and his rowdy gang. When the Vindice were starting to drag Mukuro away, Tsuna's first instinct was to do something to help. But Reborn thought otherwise, he thought rationally without taking others into consideration. They completed their mission, that was all that mattered. Afterwards, Mukuro became his guardian and Reborn didn't seem the slightest bit bothered that one of Tsuna's guardians was locked up somewhere with no means of escape as long as the illusionist assisted them when he was needed.

The only reason Reborn barged into his life, tortured him with his unique 'tutoring methods' and hellish training all the while helping him gain friends whom he now shared so many happy memories with was because it only aided in his quest to turn the young boy into an excellent boss of Vongola. That was the mission the Ninth gave him. He couldn't let Tsuna die because that would be considered as a failure on his part. That's why the hitman was always looking after him in his own roundabout and somewhat painful way. But it definitely wasn't because he cared for Tsuna, this was just another one of his jobs.

Tsuna's heart clenched at the thought. He had somewhat accepted the fact that he would become the tenth boss of Vongola, he already knew that he's long since reached the point of no return. It's no longer that he doesn't want to be Vongola, he's just questioning himself whether or not he's ready to take on such responsibility. And besides...

If he was ready to become Vongola Boss, then that would mean Reborn's job was over. He would leave then, because there would be no reason for him to stay.

So even if the people around him are waiting for him to take his rightful place as the Vongola heir, have such high expectations for him and are already relying on him, he can't bring himself to do anything because he was too afraid of what would happen. It may be a bit selfish of him, but he doesn't want Reborn to leave.

Tsuna owed the hitman everything. If it weren't for him, Tsuna would still be the pathetic, no-good student with no friends and didn't have a single clue what he wanted to do with his life. Reborn was the first person who ever believed in him, if it weren't for him, Tsuna would've never made the friends he had now whom he treasured dearly. Reborn was simply amazing.

It was no wonder that Tsuna found himself falling in love with his Spartan of a tutor.

It didn't matter if Reborn didn't really care about him. It didn't matter if the hitman just viewed their relationship as just another job he was assigned to. It didn't matter if he was just gonna end up being left behind eventually. Tsuna would never think twice about risking his life for him, the man who somehow gained his affections amidst all the chaos they had to go through.

Tsuna was already 16, still young. Much too young to be a mafia boss in his opinion, so he should still have plenty of time before he becomes obligated to inherit the Vongola. So he'll be selfish for just a little longer. Even if Reborn didn't really care about him, even if their time together and their relationship was generally just a lie, he'd treasure it because he knew that someday the man will leave and they wouldn't be able to do all this again.

After the curse had been broken, Reborn started growing again. But it was at an abnormally fast pace. The growth spurt practically happened overnight... well, not really, but Reborn was currently in his adolescence after a year and a half of being uncursed. He should be back to his original age after another year or two. He was practically getting more attractive by the day and it wasn't helping the brunet's emotions at all, neither were his raging hormones.

And as the days passed, Tsuna found himself becoming more attracted to the man (both physically and emotionally). All the while being aware of the inevitable heartbreak that would come in a few more years. He continuously and secretly thanked Vongola because it was the reason he met Reborn in the first place but he couldn't help but laugh bitterly at the irony that it will also be the reason why he would be left behind.

But that didn't matter, at least he wouldn't be alone. And he will always love Reborn no matter what. So of course he would never hold him back, he can leave whenever he wanted to and Tsuna would never hold that against him. But for now, he was content with the way things are. Even if it was only temporary. Reborn would probably hate him for it. Tsuna was just wasting his time, stalling. While Reborn was working for the sake of Vongola's future, Tsuna was just enjoying his time with the person he liked. But what Reborn doesn't know won't kill him, right? He doesn't plan on confessing, ever. No one has to find out, after all.

And after everything he's done for the people around him- for the freaking _world_ \- he deserved to be selfish, just this once.

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 **I hope you liked it ~ ! ^_^ I was actually in the mood to write something depressing but compared to the stuff I wrote before, I don't think I succeeded that much here :/ Oh well~ I'll just make the next chapter twice as depressing to make up for it so please look forward to that ^_^**

 **Anyway, Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~RnR ~ !**


	2. He Deserves Better

**2,066 words and all I have to say is WTF did I just write?**

 **I am seriously not sure if I am in the right state of mind to be writing an update for that story I posted last week. I don't think I've been getting enough sleep and I should honestly be studying for my test on monday or getting started on my research paper or doing something productive that would actually benefit me in having a bright future. But NAH, I had to multi-task and write this while watching youtube videos.**

 **AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING, WTF am I doing writing something that's supposed to be depressing while watching stand-up comedians rant about sugar addicts, gay rights and how children are basically little hitlers?! Why am I watching superwoman videos and princess rap battles? How would that help me get in the mood of writing a depressing fic? WTF is wrong with me?**

 **Well, anyways, I know I said that this would be more depressing than the last, but I don't think the laughter I got from those videos helped my current state of mind. I was basically just typing what came to mind. Man, I don't even remember what I wrote here. So yeah, chances are there are a lot of mistakes. I'm thinking of getting a BetaReader but I don't really know how that's supposed to work. Like I feel like I need someone to proofread my work since I'm too lazy to do that and tell me if my story's still making sense or am I just writing total BS here. And probably yell at me for procrastinating. Basically I need a parent. Like, a fanfic parent only instead of doing my homework you tell me to write.  
**

 **PM me if you're interested, although I'm planning on going for 1827 for my next stories :3 In fact, if you just happen to have anything to say at all just PM me. I don't really care if you sent me a message with nothing but the word 'potato' in it, I like having notifications. It gives off the illusion of being productive.**

 **My A/N isn't always this long, which proves that I am not in the right state of mind. It is midnight, I am tired but not sleepy and definitely a bit hungry.**

 **Anyways, on with the story!**

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Reborn was a hitman. The world's greatest, at that. Number one, a genius with multiple degrees and an expert when it came to reading and predicting people's actions to the point that most was certain that he had some supernatural ability (since flame powers, hyper intuition and the like were apparently a thing, then telepathy shouldn't be so farfetched). He was experienced and knew how to deal with many situations that occurred in his job as a hitman/tutor for a future mafia boss.

This situation was not one of those times.

Reborn had the uncharacteristic urge to shoot himself. His behavior was not befitting for a hitman _or_ a tutor but he just couldn't help the emotions bubbling inside of him, it was definitely a new experience. He hated it.

He was slowly but surely falling for his no-good student.

The student who always gets 0 on his math tests. The student who would trip on nothing and couldn't even form a coherent sentence without stuttering. The student who had no athletic ability whatsoever and always complains when he makes the kid go through hellish but absolutely necessary training. The idiot student who would probably be wasting his life and would never have realized his full potential had he not barged into it. The idiot who was too nice for his own good and trusted too much. _His_ student who wouldn't hesitate to give anyone a second chance because he was just too forgiving. His student who was much too humble and saw the best in others yet failed to see his own worth. His student, his precious sky, whose kindness and warmth somehow managed to melt through his stone-cold heart.

What he was feeling was taboo, it was unprofessional and it was pissing him off. When exactly did this happen? How could he have allowed it?

He cursed at himself for being careless, but thinking about it, it was pretty much inevitable. He spent more time with Tsuna than most, so he knew him better than anyone else. And to be honest, Tsuna was not a difficult person to love. All his flaws may be prominent but it only serves to hide his great potential and strength. It was such a shame that most people tend to judge things at face value so they can't know anything apart from what they can see.

He saw everything those flaws hid. He saw how caring and accepting the boy can be, how he drew people in. He had such a kind and welcoming personality, a bright smile and his determination for his friends. Even his flaws somewhat added to his appeal. Reborn would never say it out loud, but he found the boy's clumsiness to be a bit cute.

He was strong, yet only used his strength for others, never for himself. If there was even a chance of one of his guardians- who were all extraordinarily strong that even Reborn had to acknowledge them, and were all fully capable of taking care of themselves- Tsuna would always start worrying about them and if there was anything he could do, he wouldn't hesitate even if it meant getting hurt as well. But if bullies started picking on him or even beat him up, he still wouldn't fight back. He would endure it, and there were even certain times that he almost got a fracture or concussion. If Reborn or his friends hadn't appeared to help him out, he could've gotten extremely hurt.

The idiot was soft, compassionate and selfless to a fault. The complete opposite of Reborn. There were many things wrong with him, a hitman, falling in love with his no-good student. First of all, disregarding the curse and his current physical age, if you thought about how old he really was then any idiot would be able to comprehend that he was way too old for Tsuna. Not that he was insecure or anything, but considering the age gap and all he was practically acting like a pedophile. Not to mention how student-teacher relationships were socially unacceptable. He was supposed to be teaching the kid, not become a bad influence on him! And that's another thing, he should be focusing on teaching the young heir how to be a good mafia boss. But instead he's letting his emotions get the best of him.

Reborn couldn't help but sigh. This was ridiculous. He was the world's greatest hitman for pete's sake, and he's letting one scrawny middle-schooler turn his world upside down. Before Tsuna, he had principles, methods, his life was in order and he had control over every aspect of it (disregarding the whole rainbow curse). But now, he was continuously being bothered by these emotions and it would sometimes interfere with his work. His fellow (former) arcobaleno had already noticed that there was something different about how he was acting lately. But thankfully, they all chucked it up to the effects of slowly regaining their original forms. So if Reborn seemed somewhat merciful or generous, they concluded that it was because he was in a good mood from slowly regaining more of his original strength as the days pass.

He shouldn't be feeling this way. He could have anyone he wanted, people would willingly throw themselves at his feet. He had the brain, charm and strength that would make any man or woman go crazy over him. He was one of the best, one of the strongest and definitely someone to be respected. And yet despite all his achievements, his capabilities and his talents he knew it didn't matter because he was certain about one thing.

He didn't deserve Tsuna.

He was talented, yes. But what did he use his talent for? To kill people, he was a hitman after all. A murderer. His hands were stained and dirty, he couldn't even remember when or how he had gotten so cold. It was only when he met Tsuna that he truly realized how dark and cold his life was. Tsuna, on the other hand, used his talent and strength to protect the people he cared about. He turned his enemies into friends, a skill that even Reborn has yet to comprehend. He was somewhat naive, but from all their little adventures Reborn knew that his student understood just how dark and cruel their world is. And yet he still maintained that strange and refreshing innocence that blew him away and kept drawing people in.

Simply put, they were like water and oil. They were much too different. Tsuna forgives while Reborn punishes. Tsuna helps people change for the better while Reborn manipulates them to do his bidding. Tsuna smiles genuinely and so full of warmth while Reborn smirks sadistically, a silent promise for pain to come. Tsuna was the light, so full of hope and energy while Reborn was the darkness, mysterious and brings about fear.

Tsuna was a saint, and Reborn was a monster.

It hurt to admit it, but these were all facts. Tsuna deserved better, the best actually. He deserved to be happy. So Reborn kept quiet, even though deep inside he was yearning for him and _dammit, he always gets what he wants_ but this time he has to make an exception. He wasn't going to burden his student with the knowledge of his _feelings_. That would be foolish of him. So they continue on as they are, although he sometimes finds that difficult.

Lately, it seemed that Tsuna was staring at him with a look that Reborn could've mistaken for longing. Sometimes he would seek for the hitman's company for no apparent reason. And sometimes he would find those caramel orbs staring right at his own black eyes with such softness and warmth and that would've probably- _probably_ \- made his heart skip a beat if it weren't for the fact that he also saw something else in those eyes.

Hurt? Fear? No, it was more like . . . guilt?

But that didn't make any sense, why would the boy look at him that way? It bothered him to no end, seeing his student so troubled but not knowing why. During these moments, it was as if they were in a trance and it would only last for a few seconds at most. Tsuna would just look directly into his eyes and Reborn would feel so vulnerable. And then the boy would look away and pretend as if nothing happened, acting like everything was normal and all those emotions in his eyes disappearing so fast it made Reborn wonder if he just imagined it.

He didn't know how to deal with neither his emotions or his student's actions. Tsuna was often just sending mixed signals that only served to confuse the hitman even more. One minute Tsuna would be trying to spend some time with him, the next he would be treating him as a tutor, even emphasizing that. When that switch flips, it was like Tsuna was trying to put some distance between them. Telling him they should probably head home, that he should probably leave or that he had homework to do so he excused himself. Reborn couldn't understand what was going on, it was like Tsuna was trying to get closer to him yet at the same time was trying to create a barrier between them.

Well... Since it was something that only concerned their personal relationship, it didn't matter either way. Come hell or high water, he was his tutor, and his number one priority at the moment was to train the brunet.

Sawada Tsunayoshi was going to the the tenth boss of Vongola, although Reborn still couldn't comprehend why he seemed to be stalling since the boy had obviously already accepted that his fate was pretty much sealed, it was pretty much inevitable that Tsuna will experience the cruel life of the mafia. So Reborn had to train him well, Tsuna had to become strong enough to protect himself and learn how to handle things so he can avoid getting into unnecessary trouble.

Because despite his own wishes, Reborn knew that he wouldn't always be able to remain by his precious sky's side. It wasn't an issue of whether or not Tsuna would allow the hitman to stay in his life, Reborn had no doubt that he would. No, it was because no matter how close they become and no matter how hard he tries, he knew that he wouldn't always be there to look after and protect Tsuna. He couldn't always rely on his guardians either, because rationally speaking it would probably be him looking after them than the other way around.

The life in the mafia was harsh, merciless and cruel. Reborn would never be able to stand seeing Tsuna hurt, so for now they had to train. He would feel pride as his tutor whenever Tsuna's strength grew and also a tiny bit relief with the reassurance that if it's Tsuna, then he'll definitely pull through whatever the mafia throws at him. He'll be okay.

It was pretty screwed up really. Most people show their affection through hugs, fond words and the like. But Reborn chooses to express it through his hellish training. Because there's a line that he cannot cross, he cannot afford to show his affection towards the young Decimo. He had a job, and for the sake of this bright and talented young boy's future and happiness, he had to do it right. He couldn't afford to get distracted by the emotions raging inside him.

Despite that though, he often allowed himself to enjoy the other's company as they went through their days as usual. The craziness and constant show of violence having long since become a routine that they've gotten used to. And as he continued to watch the young Vongola heir, admiring every aspect of him and even having a little fun teasing him once in a while, Reborn thought that he could at least let himself have this much.

He knew he didn't deserve Tsuna but Reborn was still a selfish man, after all.

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 **Hope you liked it ~ !**

 **I don't even think I had a plan for this story so I don't know what I was thinking when I said this was probably going to be a three or two-shot. I barely had a concept. Luckily I was able to come up with this when someone asked for Reborn's POV (Thank you for your wonderful review ! Same goes to the rest of you :*) I think I had an idea of how it was supposed to go while writing the first chapter, but then I realized that it was a stupid plot so I went with this one.**

 **Obviously, it's not finished but I'm also not certain if the next chapter will be the last. I have an idea of how it's supposed to go but basically I think I'm just gonna wing it, you know? Feel free to give me suggestions :3**

 **It's rushed so feel free to point out any mistakes. I really should get back into writing, I'm getting a little out of shape, you know?**

 **Anyway, Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	3. He Loves Him

**This took a LOT longer than it should have and is a LOT longer than I expected it to be :/ But anyway, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY :D Sadly, this is the only Christmas gift I can offer to you :( I might post another fic but I'm still not so sure about that..,**

 **4,488 words... wao, I really got carried away. But still, I hope you enjoy this! :3**

 **I would also like to thank** _MonaTheWeirdo_ **for Beta-ing this :) I really appreciate your help!**

 **So then . . . I hope you enjoy!**

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Reborn was watching him.

It was pretty hard not to notice since the hitman made no effort in hiding it and Tsuna was starting to feel unnerved, not to mention extremely uncomfortable. Whatever he was doing, wherever he was- be it at home, school or hanging out somewhere with friends- he could always feel those black eyes boring into the back of his skull. It was bothering him and made him nervous, which resulted in the brunet being clumsier than usual.

Despite this, however, Tsuna couldn't bring himself to walk up to the hitman and demand what was up. Knowing the former arcobaleno, he was probably planning something. But something about his recent behavior seemed . . . off. No one else seemed to have noticed anything, and to be honest Tsuna himself wasn't really sure what he found strange about Reborn's behavior- other than the constant staring, of course. It was most likely his Hyper Intuition that led him to such a conclusion, and based on the numerous near-death experiences he's had, Tsuna has learned to trust the random gut feelings and strange urges he gets.

So there was definitely something going on with Reborn, now there's the issue of what Tsuna should do with this piece of information. Should he leave it be and just brace himself for whatever Reborn has in store for him? It would be pretty hard considering he's become such a nervous wreck what with being under the hitman's watchful eye 24/7. He couldn't ask anyone for advice either, since he's under surveillance, Reborn would immediately find out and that might only cause more problems. And the brunet wasn't so sure if he was willing to risk that.

Tsuna sighed in exasperation. It was tough dealing with the world's number one hitman.

It was during one afternoon as he was on his way home from school that he actually got a break from all that tension. His Hyper Intuition has gotten sharper throughout the years and as of that moment; he couldn't sense Reborn anywhere which made him sigh in relief. Finally, he can take a break!

Reborn was either nowhere around or far enough away to not bother him. Yamamoto and Gokudera weren't with him either since the baseball player had after school practice while the bomber had to restock on his dynamite. So he can enjoy some peace and quiet on his way home.

"Hey, Sawada!"

. . . or not.

Tsuna tried to hide his annoyance as he turned towards the source of the call only to have his eyes widen to see who it was.

"V-Verde . . . ?" Tsuna stuttered in shock. At the back of his mind, he thought that Reborn would've probably shot him for 'displaying weakness' and because 'a mafia boss doesn't stutter, Dame-Tsuna'.

"Well well, fancy seeing you here, young Vongola." the mad scientist smirked.

"Y-yeah, what a coincidence." the brunet laughed nervously, knowing full well that their little encounter was more than a little twist of fate.

"Reborn's not with you today, huh? How rare . . ."

"Y-yeah... well, he's probably busy with some other stuff . . ." Tsuna trailed off, trying to think of a way to get away from the lightning arcobaleno without coming off as rude. It was during these times he thought that maybe, just maybe, being a nice guy wasn't such a good thing after all. Verde was very similar to Mukuro, in a way that they both gave off an aura that just screams suspicious and tells people they're not to be trusted. Tsuna feels guilty for thinking that but it was all facts, although he knew that he could trust his male Mist guardian, it doesn't mean the older teen doesn't intimidate the future Vongola boss.

"Hey listen, I actually have a few things to ask you." Verde smiled. Tsuna did not like how that sounded nor did he like that smile on the genius' face. That was the kind of smile that was dark and intimidating, the same smile Reborn gives Tsuna whenever he screws up a test and they both knew he was in for some painful punishment.

"Ah, s-sorry. But I need to go home, I have a lot of homework and Reborn would probably kill me if I don't get it done by the time he gets back . . ." he said, hoping that it would be enough as an excuse to get away and back home while subtly inching away from the man.

"It wouldn't be long; I just need to ask you a few things." Verde no longer kept up the friendly act and smirked. "It's about Reborn."

Tsuna froze in place and it was then that Verde knew he got the boy. He may have Hyper Intuition but he was still so easy to read.

". . . What _about_ Reborn?"

"I just want to inquire a few things . . . I'm sure you've also noticed that he's been acting quite strange lately."

How could he not?

Reborn wasn't the only one keeping an eye on someone lately. Tsuna has been watching Reborn from the corner of his eyes, he always has. He just couldn't help it.

"I don't think I'll be able to tell you much..." he said, though admittedly, Verde got him the moment he mentioned the hitman's name. And Tsuna was sure that the mad scientist knew that as well.

"Well, I pretty much have a theory to what's going on..."

"... Is there something wrong?" Tsuna didn't bother trying to hide the concern in his tone. This was Reborn, after all. Of course he would be concerned.

"I can't be sure." Verde shrugged. "It's not like I'm around that guy often enough, that's why I want to talk to you. You're with him practically 24/7, so if there's anyone who'd know about what's going on with that guy, it'd be you. Right?"

". . ." Tsuna was still unsure. Verde was technically an ally . . . No, wait, that wasn't a proper word. It was more like the man had a peace treaty with Vongola, but that didn't mean he could just trust the Arcobaleno. Tsuna was no longer that naive. The man had, after all, tried to kill him by sending a few assassins after him in the past. Also, even Reborn was wary of him.

"What do want to know?" Tsuna asked. After all, his whole life in general screamed 'danger' so it couldn't hurt to take a risk.

"Not here. We wouldn't want anyone eavesdropping, now would we? Anyone would want to take advantage of any weakness that the world's greatest hitman shows, after all."

He was right. Tsuna frowned.

". . . Lead the way."

* * *

Reborn inwardly cursed. For pete's sake, he was a tutor not a babysitter. This was exactly why he still called Tsuna a naive kid, although the future Vongola boss was admittedly a lot more mature that most of the people around him. He was still a child, nonetheless. A child he had to look out for. Why did he fall in love with the brat again?

The hitman took a deep breath to calm himself. Honestly, he takes his eyes off of him for one minute and his student suddenly disappears. He should have stayed around, or at least made sure one of the brunet's guardians were around.

Reborn had been keeping an eye on Tsuna, he couldn't help it. And anyway, it was his job as a tutor to keep a very close eye on his student's progress, right? Right, but he knew that Tsuna had also noticed that he was being kept under constant surveillance (Reborn refuses to admit it was stalking, he was looking after the teen and at the same time collecting valuable information regarding his growth). So Reborn decided to take the day off so he wouldn't get any more suspicious. But he wouldn't think that the boy would suddenly disappear. Tsuna was supposed to be back home half an hour ago, and it wasn't like he had any errands or anywhere to be in particular so it was worrying. Reborn had tried contacting him, but the brunet's phone was off. Either he was out of battery or he intentionally turned it off, either way Reborn was not happy.

Reborn was going around town, aimlessly searching for his student while trying to hide his worry and the growing panic from anyone who could see when he ran into someone.

"Ah, Reborn-san!"

"Hm? Oh, Haru." Reborn spoke in monotone.

"Hahi! Is something wrong? You seem rather depressed."

"I'm not depressed. I'm just-" _worried because my precious student is missing and the idiot could have been kidnapped by an enemy famiglia for all I know_. "- a bit stressed, what with having an idiot student who's rather a handful to look after."

"Hahi! I'm sure Tsuna-san isn't that bad! Even I can tell that he's made great progress compared to how he used to be!" Haru pouted.

Reborn sighed, already knowing better than anyone else how true that statement was. "Yeah, yeah . . ."

"Ah, speaking of Tsuna-san, did he get a new tutor?"

Reborn perked up at this. "No . . . why?"

"Well, I just saw him a little while ago. I was gonna go and talk to him but he was with a guy in a lab coat."

"Lab coat . . ?"Reborn frowned, for some reason; he had a bad feeling about this. "What did he look like?"

"Well . . . he looked like he was around your age, had round glasses and green hair that was almost as spiky and gravity-defying as Tsuna's."

That did not sound good. Reborn inwardly cursed, only knowing of one person who fit the description.

"Where did you see them?" he said, failing to hide his panic.

Luckily, Haru was a rather dense girl (or so Reborn thought) and instead of questioning him, just put a finger on her chin in thought. "Hm . . . well, last I saw them they were a couple blocks down, near the edge of town. Now that I think about it, they were heading the opposite direction of Tsuna-san's house."

The moment Haru was done talking, Reborn started speed walking (no, he was not running. That was not something a man of his stature would do, he's much more sophisticated than that) away, the teenage girl only watched him go. She wasn't bothered at all that Reborn was technically being rude, which was unusual since he had always been such a gentleman. Instead, Haru just smiled knowingly.

She always found the pair to be really cute. Sure, she had feelings for Tsuna once upon a time. But that was something of the past, now she just enjoyed watching Tsuna with his special person. She found it funny how she seemed to be the only one to notice. Maybe it was because she was the only one who really knew what it was like to be in love? Bianchi didn't count, because she seems to be blinded by her own feelings to see what was so obvious, Haru felt really sorry for her. But she was wholeheartedly rooting for Team R27 (her very own codename for her favorite future-couple).

Haru couldn't help but giggle; she couldn't get the image of Reborn out of her mind. Could it be that the man she saw with Tsuna was a potential love rival for Reborn? How cute! Reborn must feel insecure because he had no idea that his beloved shared the same feelings as he. Gasp! Could this possibly lead to Reborn gaining the courage to confess his true love to his one and only for fear of losing the kind brunet to someone else?

Haru smiled dreamily, oh how nice it was to be in love! Now if only team 8059 would do the same . . .

* * *

Reborn had never felt so grateful that he understood bug language; he didn't want to use them at first since he thought it would be a complete waste of his resources but now he knew how serious the situation actually was. They may have worked with the mad scientist in the past, but that doesn't mean he was to be trusted. He was very much similar to Mukuro, you only work together with him when the situation calls for it and your simply that desperate.

He couldn't help but wonder though, what was Tsuna thinking?! From what Haru said, the brunet willingly went with Verde and Tsuna knows better than that. Either that or he ought to kick it up a notch with his tutoring, looks like focusing on physical training simply won't do.

. . . There was also the possibility that Verde had threatened or even blackmailed the young teen. But why? What could he possibly gain from this? Reborn cursed, he was going to kill his student for making him worry like this.

* * *

Tsuna wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, he felt really uncomfortable but his Hyper Intuition told him that he would be fine. He can trust Verde, at least not to hurt him . . . too badly.

Tsuna explained everything he had noticed about Reborn's behavior, as well as the way his Hyper Intuition kept telling him that something was definitely wrong. Verde patiently listened to everything he said while occasionally asking questions to clarify something. As he spoke, he found himself relaxing more and he started to genuinely believe that Verde really wanted to help. But somewhere deep inside him, his Hyper Intuition was stilling tugging at the back of his mind, alerting him that he should not trust the scientist.

His Hyper Intuition can be really confusing sometimes. It tells him that Verde won't hurt him but he still shouldn't trust the man? Why not? Tsuna was starting to get frustrated, he was already confused enough as it it with his situation with Reborn, he didn't need his Hyper Intuition adding in to the major headache that he can feel was coming in.

Well . . . It turns out, he should have listened to his Hyper Intuition and just ran home and away from Verde.

Verde indeed did not have any plans of harming the Vongola boss; he was a lot smarter than that and definitely not suicidal. He was honestly just curious. Verde noticed that Reborn has been acting strange for a while now; all the others thought that he was just in a good mood or something but he was a genius. Even in Reborn's best days, Verde knew that the hitman wouldn't miss a chance to push the lackey around and possibly beat the daredevil down for the sole reason that he can. The man was a sadist, and it was more likely that he was more merciless when he was in a good mood. So Verde was puzzled, to say the least, by Reborn's behavior lately.

But then, _he saw it_.

Verde was an observant man; it was one of the qualifications of being a scientist. Granted, he didn't care much about anything that didn't involve his pursuit for knowledge, but that doesn't mean he doesn't notice the tiniest details as he goes on with his everyday life. It had developed into a habit for him. He notices things, even if he doesn't want to. He does it subconsciously. He notices how Colonnello was more energetic when he was nervous, how Viper seemed to always be able to spot the most expensive item in the room upon entering and how Fon seemed to have a way with words that made him seem polite but was actually borderline manipulative.

So when Reborn started acting strange, it may have taken him a while but soon enough, he noticed it. There seemed to be a pattern to his behavior, a pattern he recognized. He had seen it before.

Years ago, before they were cursed into living with their infant bodies, a certain someone displayed similar behavior.

Lal Mirch was a no-nonsense type of person, although she and Reborn had their similarities, Verde wouldn't go so far as to say they were alike. But there had been a time, as they were performing jobs as a group, when Lal seemed to change. During the time, they barely knew each other, so the others paid no mind. But Verde noticed. (Reborn and Luce could have as well, but they probably decided not to do anything about it. For Reborn it was because he didn't care, and for Luce it was because she thought it was not her place to pry). Verde didn't really care either, but he also stumbled upon the cause of her behavior while with a job with the others.

Colonnello.

Verde was a man of science, but that didn't mean he was oblivious to all the other aspects of life that didn't involve making weapons or his research on various things such as dying will flames. Once he saw the two interact, he was able to piece it together almost immediately.

Lal Mirch had been in love. And that was the cause of her strange behavior.

Verde had wanted to laugh back then, it was utterly amusing. The attraction humans felt caused by adrenaline and neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin can make even the proudest of mafioso make a fool of themselves. But none of the amusement he felt back then could be compared to what he felt once he recognized all the signs Reborn displayed. The proud, sadistic bastard was actually in love! Wasn't that a surprise? Verde found himself almost dying from the laugh of oxygen on the floor of his laboratory not long after his discovery because he was simply just laughing so hard. It seems that the mighty hitman who was said to be the best at what he does wasn't acting so great anymore.

And then, Verde got curious. It wasn't everyday that the sadistic man would fall in love with somebody, whoever it was he fell in love with must be quite a character. Verde was a genius, but it took him quite a while to figure out who could the 'lucky' person be. And even then, he wasn't so sure.

That's what led him to confronting the young Vongola heir, and everything the boy said only confirmed his suspicions and also made him realize a lot more.

Reborn, the world's greatest hitman, had fallen in love with his no-good student. And said no-good student loved him back. But neither of them realized this.

Verde wanted to just laugh _so badly_ but he couldn't because then he would have to let Tsuna know what was up, and he couldn't do that. This was a rare opportunity and he wasn't about to let it slide, he could really use the entertainment after all.

"Well . . ? What do you think?" It was only due to the young teen's concerned tone that Verde realized he had fallen silent after Tsuna was done retelling his views.

Verde observed the brunet for a bit, and once again, curiosity got the best of him. He wanted to see how deep the young mafia heir's feelings for the hitman were.

"Well, chances are he wants to see how far much progress you've made after all the time you spent under his tutelage. He's probably observing your lifestyle and what has changed since he arrived." Verde explained.

"That's all?" Tsuna frowned, feeling more than a little disappointed. "But why all of sudden . . ?"

"Well, he's probably thinking that it's about time to wrap things up." Verde said, he didn't miss the way the boy flinched.

"W-wrap things up?" Tsuna's frown deepened, his eyes betraying the confusion in his tone. There was horror in those large brown eyes, meaning he knew exactly what Verde meant and didn't like it one bit.

It wasn't that Verde was a sadist . . . okay, maybe he was a little. But that wasn't the case at the moment, he was honestly just curious if Sawada's feelings were the rumored 'true love' or just the so-called 'puppy love' he kept hearing about as well as how he would react to what he was about to say, since the teen tends to be unpredictable sometimes. He never knew if Reborn had ever fallen in love before, but from what he's witnessed so far, when Reborn fell for Sawada, he fell _hard_.

"Even I can acknowledge that you've come far from being a 'no-good student'. He probably thinks that he's wasted enough time with this particular job, he's doesn't seem to be used to being tied down, after all." Verde shrugged.

"So . . . he's going to leave soon?"

"Probably go AWOL. He's done that tons of times in the past."

Tsuna had become tense, his fists clenched and his eyes were hidden behind his long bangs.

"Look kid, I know you're the emotional type and you've gotten attached to Reborn and all . . . but that guy's not like that at all. I mean, yeah, I'm sure he's grateful to you for breaking the curse and all but that's pretty much it." If Verde didn't know any better, he'd say he was starting to feel guilty for everything he's saying. But that can't be true . . . right? "This is just another job for him, and once he's done he'll go back to doing as he likes."

"Yeah . . ." Tsuna's shoulders started shaking. "I already know that."

Verde blinked. Well . . . that wasn't what he expected.

"I know Reborn's just here because the Ninth asked him to. And if it weren't for that, he probably would have never even spared me a glance. I'm just a no-good teenager after all, and even if I do somehow manage to reach everyone's expectations and become a Vongola boss, I'd still be nothing compared to Reborn." he sighed and Verde finally managed to get a glimpse of the teen's eyes. They were filled with hurt and painful resignation, as if accepting the painful fate he was bound to. "Reborn and I have been through a lot but . . . there's no way he'd want to stay any longer than he has to. I'd just . . . drag him down, I guess? He can do a lot more without Vongola or anyone tying him down. I know that . . . I-I guess I've known for a while now."

Verde silently listened to him, slowly realizing how miserable the teen must have felt until now. Damn, the brunet sure had some really low self-esteem, this might actually be a serious threat to his mental health. You'd think that after the mafia heir had saved the world _twice_ and battled numerous crazy strong opponents, he'd have _some_ confidence in himself but that doesn't seem to be the case.

"I always knew that Reborn was going to leave someday, I've accepted it. But . . ." he let out an almost shaky sigh. "I was hoping that I'd at least be able to spend some time with him for a bit longer."

Verde stared at him with an expression betraying no emotion.

"You love him."

It wasn't a question.

"Are you okay with this?"

"No." Tsuna replied automatically. "But Reborn doesn't have to know that, right?"

It was a silent request. He was asking Verde to keep it a secret, and they both knew the scientist understood without having to say anything.

"I can be content with this much, beggars can't be choosers, after all . . . I'm happy with the way things are now." the brunet smiled bitterly. "Just . . . not with the way I know things are gonna end."

"You could do something, you know." Verde said, feeling sorry for the boy. But he knew he couldn't tell him the truth, entertainment aside, it wasn't his place to do so.

"I can't . . . and it doesn't matter anyway." Tsuna sighed before finally smiling, a warm and genuine smile. "I'm not asking for Reborn to love me back. I just want to stay by his side, for just a little longer. That's enough for me."

". . . You've always been selfless." Verde sighed; this was why the boy was suited to become a Vongola boss more than anyone else. No wonder Reborn fell for him.

"I'm not, I'm just being realistic." he shrugged.

"Then why don't you just move on? Forget about him, don't kids your age do that all the time?"

"Reborn is different. It's nothing like I've felt with Kyoko-chan before; I just know that no matter what happens I won't be able to forget about him." Tsuna sighed. "So even if he leaves, even if he forgets about me . . . even if this is all just a job to him and he really doesn't care about me. That won't change anything. Him not caring won't change the fact that I care too much. It hurts to keep it all in, but if it means that I'll be able to enjoy my time with him then it just might be worth it."

The misery his words held contradicted the loving smile Tsuna had, and Verde found himself admiring him for it.

Reborn was a lucky man.

* * *

"That idiot . . ."

Reborn followed the bug, it led him to Verde's headquarters but it seems that the small building (smaller than the Sawada house) only served as an entrance and the man's actual base was located underground. The only entrance was locked behind a steel door which can only be opened with a piece of the scientist's DNA. Verde was really thorough.

Luckily- or unluckily- he had managed to find a control room. Hacking the system was easy for him, and soon enough he had the whole base under surveillance. After a quick scan of all the monitors, he had immediately spotted where Tsuna and Verde. He had sighed in relief to see that the boy was safe and soon after turned the sound on so he can listen to what they were talking about. He had done that not long after Tsuna had finished talking and Verde seemed to be deep in thought.

He heard everything.

* * *

 **Well then, I hope you liked it! :D And I hope it's sad enough for your tastes :3**

 **Look forward to the next and final chapter! Now if you'll excuse me, it's 4 am and I have had 0 sleep. What am I doing with my life? XD Why am I not tired? I need sleep but I usually prefer to do it when the sun's up :/**

 **Let's all hope I keep having motivation to write :3**

 **Please review ~ !**

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	4. He Will Stay

**WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG FOR ME TO WRITE ONE CHAPTER I'M SO SORRY GUYS QAQ**

 **But you'll forgive me won't you? :3 XD**

 **I'm sorry it took so long and but it makes you feel any better this story should be done by next week, I can't believe it ended up with 5 chappies O_o This chap has 2,595 words not including A/N**

 **Hope you enjoy! :D**

* * *

Tsuna made his way home, unsure of how to feel. On one hand, he already expected this to happen... so why does it hurt? He thought that it wouldn't hurt as much since he already expected it to happen, but the pain was still excruciating. He honestly didn't think it would happen so soon, he thought he had a year at the very least. But he supposed he had improved a lot, hadn't he? His grades had improved a lot (although he was still slightly below average), he isn't as clumsy as he used to be (although he still tends to trip on thin air when he gets nervous) and his reputation has increased slightly so he wasn't being bullied anymore.

He couldn't help but think back and remember the days when he was still a no-good, civilian student, back before Reborn came crashing into his life, guns blazing and chaos following him closely behind. He remember being so miserable, and he hadn't even realized it. He went on with his life with no purpose, just trying to survive to see another day. Pain, humiliation and misery were such constant companions that he hadn't realized how terrible his life was, it became 'normal' for him. Looking back, he didn't know how he managed to survive for so long. Because if you asked him now, he wouldn't know how to survive the constant humiliation, insults, pain inflicted on by the bullied and the sheer loneliness.

But, he couldn't help but think, he wouldn't mind going back to being Dame-Tsuna if it meant he could spend more time with Reborn. Because it would definitely be worth it.

Tsuna couldn't help but frown. Verde said that Reborn would most likely go AWOL, and he does that often after a job. A small part of him thought that he really shouldn't trust Verde since he doesn't really have a good record in... anybody's book, to be honest. Tsuna may be forgiving, but that doesn't mean he can just forget about the time Verde sent a bunch of invisible assassins after him.

... But still, they were on pretty good terms now, right? Not quite friends yet, but not enemies either. In any case, Verde was smart and didn't care about anything that didn't involve his research, Reborn being an exception considering their rivalry. So there was no reason for him to lie, rivalry or not, Tsuna couldn't see anything that he could possibly gain from it. So there was no reason for him to lie.

(Reborn had a long way to go before he can fully beat the naivety out of the brunet)

Tsuna sighed.

Reborn was leaving.

What was he supposed to do now?

Just thinking about it made him feel lost.

He silently made his way home, might as well get this over with. Upon arriving at the gate of their house, he sighed once again, trying to free himself from any negative thoughts. If this was going to be the last time he was going to spend time with Reborn then the least he could do was make it a happy memory.

Well, it's not like the hitman was going to leave immediately. He would probably going to stay for a couple more days, weeks if he was lucky. But there was no way to be sure of when exactly Reborn was going to leave, it could be today and it could be next month. But Verde had said it would be sometime soon. He sighed again, better make the last moments memorable then.

"A Mafia Boss shouldn't sigh, Dame-Tsuna."

Ever since he met Reborn, he managed to develop a restraint over his embarrassing and admittedly overly dramatic reactions but that didn't mean he managed to hold himself back from flinching. He whipped his head around to see his tutor, sitting on the wall of some family's gate. He never really got over that habit even if he did outgrow his infant body and Tsuna sometimes found himself giggling at how silly the hitman can be. But now was not the time to ponder on such small details.

"A-ah, Reborn. I-I haven't seen you all day." he said, inwardly cursing how he stuttered. He thought he had outgrown that already. "Did... did you go somewhere?"

"Not really. Just around." the man shrugged. "The question here is where have you been?"

"H-Huh? W-well, I just came back from school."

"Classes ended over an hour ago, Dame-Tsuna. If you're gonna lie to me then at the very least make it a bit more believable. Not that you can ever trick me." the hitman's eyes narrowed suspiciously and Tsuna found himself sweating a bit.

"W-well, I just didn't feel like going home, so I took a walk..." he was trying really hard not to look at him in the eye.

"Alone? Where are your guardians?"

"Onii-san and Yamamoto have training, Gokudera needed to restock on his stash of dynamite and Chrome got invited by Kyoko to go shopping." he mumbled.

"And you thought it was safe to go around without protection? I thought I taught you better than that, a Mafia Boss shouldn't act so recklessly. What if you got kidnapped or attacked?"

"I-it's not like it happens that often! So it's not a big deal if I have some alone time every once in a while, and in case that does happen, I can take care of myself." sadness reflected in his eyes for a moment, but they were gone in almost an instant. That doesn't mean Reborn missed it though. "... You should be well aware of that."

"... That's not really true is it?" Reborn said making the teen finally look up to him in confusion. "Even though almost three years have passed, you're still Dame-Tsuna."

Reborn sighed. "Really, despite all my efforts you still haven't changed that much from when we first met. You're still a slow, spineless brat who has no dreams."

"Wh-what's that supposed to mean?!" Tsuna asked, forgetting about his earlier predicament in favor of being embarrassed and flustered. Those insults were uncalled for! He has improved a lot since the first year of middle school. Well, sure he still can't really manage to stand up for himself, especially against bullies, despite having the strength to do so. He just didn't want to unnecessarily hurt anyone! Didn't Reborn say that kindness was a necessary trait to become the boss of Vongola? And well, yeah he sort of partly inherited his mother's airheadedness, he can be quickwitted if he really wanted to be! ... Sometimes. And- okay, he didn't really have much plans for the future. What middleschooler thinks so far ahead? And even so, so what if he's different from most people? So what if the idea of power, money or fame doesn't appeal to him? Does that really mean that he was a child with no hopes and dreams? Maybe, but then so what?

Tsuna was starting to get depressed from just thinking about it. He really was pathetic, wasn't he? But that doesn't mean he was going to give Reborn the satisfaction of knowing that he may be right. Although knowing Reborn, he most likely already knew and didn't need to be told. But still.

"It means what it means. Are you so slow that I have to explain the simplest of things to you, Dame-Tsuna?"

Tsuna couldn't help but twitch at that completely unnecessary statement. "What's with you? You're being more offensive than usual today!"

"I've just been thinking." Reborn shrugged.

"That can't be good." Tsuna muttered. But of course, being the world's greatest hitman, Reborn heard that little comment and promptly shot at his student, missing the boy's ear by only two millimeters but succeeding in making the teen jump in surprise.

"What was that, Dame-Tsuna?"

"Hiieee! N-nothing!"

Do you ever just pause and wonder just why you fell in love with someone? Maybe Reborn hit Tsuna so many times in the head that the teen got severe brain damage, that would explain a lot.

Reborn sighed. "You haven't changed that much, at this rate you still wouldn't be ready to inherit the Vongola by the time you're 18. You're hopeless, Dame-Tsuna."

"That's not true!" he cried out, but was completely ignored.

"Well, looks like I'm gonna be staying around for a long time."

Tsuna froze at this, wondering if he heard right. Reborn pretended not to notice this and continued.

"You're completely hopeless without me, huh?" The hitman wanted to cringe at his own words, his words felt like it would be something Lambo would say. He had to resist the urge to puke in his mouth. But it had to be done, he'll tell Tsuna the truth someday, but now was not the time.

"H-How long do you think will it take before my training's complete?" Tsuna asked hesitantly.

Reborn paused, pretending to think for a moment. "Not sure, although the Ninth said that you'll definitely be inheriting the Vongola at 18. I doubt it would be enough time. So I guess I'll be sticking around even after you've become boss."

The hitman glanced at his student, not failing to see the obvious delight in the teen's eyes even as he tries to hide it. Reborn couldn't help but smirk. "It looks like I'll be in your care for a lot longer than expected."

Tsuna wasn't able to hold back a bright grin. "I look forward to it."

Only a handful of people in the world would've noticed how the hitman slightly twitched at the adorable sight, it was nice. Especially compared to the gloomy looks his student had been sporting only a few minutes ago. He could kiss the teen right then and there but he had to restrain himself and instead snorted.

"As you should, I'll be sure to double your training." he smirked as the teen shrieked.

"N-No! I didn't mean that!" he yelled frantically as the hitman started to walk away. "Reborn! My training is hellish enough as it is!"

Reborn raised an eyebrow at his statement. "Then what, pray tell, did you mean exactly?"

Tsuna froze, not expecting this, and started blushing furiously. I look forward to spending more time with you, I don't care about the mafia or what training I have to go through. As long as you don't leave me alone, I'm happy.

He can't possibly tell him that!

"A-ah! W-well, it's just that- you know..." the brunet knew he was going to get hit later on for being such a terrible liar. But the embarrassment from his thoughts and the giddiness from the good news that Reborn was staying screwed his thought process and now he couldn't think straight.

Reborn, on the other hand, was enjoying the view.

His student was just so adorable. It made him want to pounce at the brunet, not caring of their current location.

Instead, he just walked away with his student stuttering out gibberish while scrambling to catch up to him.

It would be so easy to confess everything right then and there. To tell Tsuna what he really felt and that he knew the brunet felt the same way. That would definitely be pure and utter bliss.

But not just yet, Tsuna, despite having greatly matured from being the scrawny middle schooler when Reborn first met him, was still young and inexperienced. For all Reborn knew, what the teen had was only a small crush, kind of like the one he had with Kyoko. The brunet could simply be mistaking admiration for affection, which is a likely possibility since the teen didn't really have that many experiences. What Reborn felt for the teen, he knew was the real deal. And in case it wasn't reciprocated, he didn't want to pressure his student into anything.

So he'll wait, he'll give Tsuna more time to think about his feelings. And then, when the time comes, he'll find out the truth. If what his student was feeling really was only puppy love, then he'll let the Vongola heir go without making a move on his feelings. Tsuna was kind, caring and talented, not to mention adorable, it shouldn't be too hard to find someone better than a monster to take good care of him.

But if Tsuna's feelings were real, then Reborn would claim him as his and never let go.

He could wait, for Tsuna's sake.

He's prepared to do a lot for that boy's happiness.

In the meantime, he supposed he could drop a few hints here and there. The brunet was incredibly dense for someone with the Vongola's famed Hyper Intuition, so it shouldn't be a problem

"But seriously though, where have you been, Reborn? I was actually a bit worried about you." Tsuna pouted.

"It's a hundred years too early for you to be worrying about me, worry about yourself." he snorted. "Don't go anywhere without your guardians."

"I can take care of myself!"

"I know, Dame-Tsuna." he smiled at him, his eyes widened. A smile! Not a bloodthirsty or sadistic smirk, but a truly warm and genuine smile! Tsuna couldn't help but blush at this.

"But you're too trusting, and although it can be charming it's still a dangerous trait to have."

Ch-charming?

"I-I'm not that trusting..."

"Since when did your stutter return? I thought I beat that out of you a long time ago."

"I-it's nothing! I'm just... tired, I guess?"

Still a horrible liar. Reborn couldn't help but sigh, then they settled into a comfortable silence.

"Hey... Reborn?"

"What?"

"... well..."

"Spit it out, Dame-Tsuna."

"You... you won't leave, right? At least without saying goodbye?"

Reborn glanced at his student, seeing the hesitation and sadness in those warm brown eyes made his heart melt a little and he resisted the urge to grab the teen's hand and just hold onto it to prove that he wasn't going anywhere. Instead, he reached a hand out and patted his spiky, unruly hair that was surprisingly so soft to the touch.

"I'm not going anywhere, like I could leave behind a useless student like you."

"I'm not useless!"

"You could become the strongest man in the world and you'll still be Dame-Tsuna in my eyes, Dame-Tsuna." he smirked.

"... Does that mean you'll never leave?" Tsuna asked, looking at his tutor hopefully, his eyes lit up when the man nodded with a soft smile.

"You're stuck with me until the day you get strong enough to be able to kick me out by force, got that?"

"That'll never happen you know." he chuckled.

"Then you have your answer." the hitman retracted his hand. "Come on, let's go home."

"Yeah." he smiled, the brightest smile Reborn has seen in a while.

Yeah, he could definitely wait. What they had right now wasn't so bad, after all.

Verde sipped his tea. He was currently taking a break from his research after a certain acquaintance stopped by, said acquaintance had threatened to maim, disembowel and strangle him before finally ending his misery with a bullet to the skull for trying to get close to what he claimed was his. Thankfully though, Verde managed to calm the dev- gentleman down and they were now having tea in the middle of his semi-destroyed laboratory. Well, at least he was alive.

After a brief summary, he was updated on what happened- that the man heard of their conversation, the confrontation with the Vongola heir, and the man's plan of action.

"I see..." Verde sighed. "The age of consent in Japan is 13, but acts of fornication are forbidden until he reaches the age 18. That is, unless you don't mind asking permission from his parents, but I imagine you would like to avoid that."

"Yes, I would. That mind of yours is useful at times, but it can get really annoying." Reborn scowled.

Verde smirked. "I can see right through you. It's a shame though, the age of consent in Italy is 14, although since you're his tutor then that would mean he'd have to be 16, which he is so if you were only in Italy right now then there wouldn't be an issue.

"Tsk." the hitman glared at the scientist who couldn't help but laugh at his expense.

"I don't see what's the issue here though, we're mafia. We do illegal stuff all the time, so why bother with the details now?"

"Shut up, hitman or not, I'm a gentleman, unlike you."

Verde snorted. "Well, whatever. You're the one who'll have to suffer through the long wait anyway."

Reborn sighed, he really loved that brat way too much.

If Tsuna were to become his, then the hitman would make the teen his in every way possible. But in his current state, Tsuna probably isn't ready for anything like that. So it's better to wait it out.

* * *

 **Hope you liked it! I just HAD to squeeze in that last scene XD Researched it too ;)**

 **I have a question for you guys, would you prefer Daddy!Reborn or Dark!TenthGen. Tell me what you think, because I have an idea for another story but I'm not really sure :/**

 **Anyway, Please Review ！！**

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	5. He Does Care

**1,756 words :D**

 **UGH, FINALLY DONE. I'm not really that satisfied with this ending but it would have to do, I guess? :/ I was gonna go for pure fluff but then again... NAH, let's mix in a li'l pain :3**

 **Hope you enjoy ~ !**

* * *

 **TYL**

When Tsuna woke up from his deep slumber after the whole incident with the Millefiore, he was greeted with the sight of a gun's nozzle pointing right at his skull. Needless to say, he was absolutely terrified. almost regressing to his fourteen-year-old self and letting out a high-pitch shriek. But no, he did not do that. He had experience now, and he knew better than to make any noise. Noise would only provoke the dangerous creature in front of him to attack. The best course of action would be to wait and not move a muscle, and then hope for the best. That doesn't seem to be an option, however.

" _ **Dame-Tsuna**_ " his voice sounded so menacing and full of venom, it contradicted to all those times he heard that same voice whisper words of comfort to him whenever he felt like he was losing hope with everything Byakuran had done.

"R-Reborn..." he managed to day, cursing the way he stuttered. He thought he had outgrown that already. There was no use in trying to keep quiet anymore and hope the anger and killing intent he was sensing would fade away, not receiving a response would only double the hitman's anger. "... you're okay..."

He did feel genuine relief knowing this, when Reborn still hadn't come back after being gone for so long, Tsuna felt that he could just die of worry. It made going to that meeting where he supposedly 'died' a lot easier though.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is what you've been doing while I was gone." the glare the hitman was giving him sent shivers up his spine, lover or not, Reborn was definitely not afraid to shoot him. He won't kill him, but that doesn't change the fact that getting shot hurt _a lot_.

"Well, you know, my job?" that doesn't seem to be the right answer considering that he soon found himself almost going deaf from the sound of a gun going off along with the slight sting on his cheek as a bullet lightly grazed him.

"Your _job_?" he seethed. "Your _job_ is to protect your family! Not get yourself killed!"

"I was protecting my family!" he defended himself. "You knew about the situation, Reborn! Okay, so I was desperate. But it's not like I had any other choice! And it worked, didn't it?"

"And what if it didn't?!" Reborn growled. "Do you realized how flawed your plan was?! What if that bullet really did kill you? What if Byakuran had known about your plan? Do you realize you really could have died that day, Tsuna? What were you thinking?!"

"What do you want me to say, Reborn?! That I'm sorry? That I was being stupid? Yeah, I knew what risks I was taking but to be honest, I didn't care anymore, okay?! I was desperate! My parents were missing, my friends were dying, everything was falling apart and- and then you left all of a sudden! I just- I just didn't care anymore, okay? I knew the plan was going to work, my life was the only thing that we had to risk and after everything that happened I was fine with it! As long as it worked, I didn't care anymore!"

"You think I spent all this time training you just to have you get yourself killed?! I left because I knew you were strong enough to be able to take care of yourself!"

That was his job. Reborn gritted his teeth, he thought he had done it right. He knew how strong his student had become and was more than satisfied to leave knowing that he had nothing to worry about. If he had known Tsuna had been planning something so stupid, he never would've left.

... Who was he kidding? At that time, Reborn had been dying. And the last thing he wanted was to have his student, his lover suffer through the ordeal of watching him die. He had to leave that time, he didn't want to but he had to.

"So... you left me because your job was over? Because there was nothing left for you to do?" Tsuna's voice was soft but the sound felt like he was hit with a ton of bricks. He sounded so fragile, like his voice was about to crack and he couldn't help but remember that child he had first met all those years ago.

The child who was so kind even if the world was so cruel to him. The child who continued to forgive even when everyone criticized him for his shortcomings. The child who kept on fighting battles he was dragged into and was still willing to do more if it meant protecting the people he cared about. The child who had to grow up and hide all his emotions from the world and act strong even though he was slowly breaking inside.

It had been one thing after another, but the whole thing with Byakuran really took the cake. Reborn remembered how Tsuna began spending more of his time alone as more of their allies and families were hunted down and killed. He remembered how the brunet always seemed so calm but he could always see the storm raging inside him through those amber eyes that had seemed to be getting duller with each passing day. He remembered how Tsuna's work increased and it became apparent how stressed he was, yet he never complained.

Reborn remembered it all, but he hadn't been able to do anything because of the radiation and the fact that he was dying. But that doesn't change the fact that he should've noticed it sooner!

Even after all this time, they've been together for years already, but Tsuna still felt insecure about their relationship. He still held onto the belief that the hitman would leave him someday and so, treasured their every moment together.

The younger man had been pushed way past his limit. After everything he's been through, and Reborn's departure definitely hadn't helped one bit, it made the hitman wonder... during that time, had Tsuna even cared whether or not he came out of that meeting alive?

The thought was too much and he found himself embracing his lover.

"Don't you _ever_ do that to me, ever again." he muttered.

"I could say the same to you." was his reply, the voice cracking with unshed tears. "Where did you go?"

"I... I couldn't let you go through it. Watching me..."

"What?" Tsuna pulled away, his eyes filled with worry.

"Tsuna, I was-"

Silence, Reborn couldn't get himself to finish that sentence, knowing how heartbroken Tsuna would look if he did. But it seems like he didn't have to, considering the look of horror and confusion he was given, Reborn knew that Tsuna understood.

"But- but you're alive right now, right?"

"Yeah... thanks to Yuni."

"What do you mean..?"

"The sky Arcobaleno has the power to revive all the other Arcobalenos, but at the cost of their own life." Reborn sighed. "We were revived as infants, but it only took a few hours to return to our normal selves."

Tsuna's eyes widened. "You mean Yuni..?"

"Yeah."

"And you..?"

"... Yeah."

The grip Tsuna had on his sleeves tightened and he couldn't help but embrace the boy once again.

"Hey, I'm here now, alright? Everything's fine, Dame-Tsuna so don't get worked up over it."

"You were the one who was so worked up a while ago..." the brunet said, keeping his head bow so his lover won't see his face.

"Well, I'm not anymore. So don't cry."

"I'm not crying..."

"... You want to though." Reborn sighed then cupped his hands on the younger's cheeks so they could see eye-to-eye. "Listen Tsuna, I know I told you that mafia bosses need to be strong but... I think you've done well these past few months. You were strong, even though any other man would've broken down so... just this once, I'll allow it, alright? You can stop being strong."

At first he received no reply, the younger man just pulled away from his hand and embraced him, nuzzling his nose on his chest. It was only a few moments later that Reborn noticed how his body slightly trembled and the wetness on his suit.

He couldn't help but chuckle, the idiot was still too damn stubborn for his own good.

But it was alright, it was better than nothing, after all. So Reborn just held him tight, a promise that he will never let go.

"I'm sorry for leaving, Tsuna."

"Promise you won't do it again?"

"As long as you promise not to pull off something stupid like that again."

"I keep telling you I didn't have a choice!"

"Yeah, and I guess it was my fault for not being there for you. So I'll let this one slide." Reborn sighed. "I won't let you go through anything alone ever again."

And to seal the deal, Reborn pulled away from their embrace and their lips met.

The hitman's thoughts never really changed, until now he still felt insecure about their relationship because Tsuna would always deserve better than someone like him. The young man deserved the best, and he had every right to be happy.

But, since the brunet allows him to, Reborn would stay by his side because he was a selfish man. He never plans on letting go.

It assured Tsuna that after everything that happened, everything was going to be okay.

For years, he feared that Reborn was going to leave him. That their whole relationship was nothing but a job to the older man. Even when they got together, that fear never really left him. It just mixed with insecurity.

But now, it seemed all his worries had melt away. Now he knew that he had nothing to be afraid. Because no matter what happens, Reborn will always be by his side. The man he loved will never leave him, not because he was obligated to or because it was his job.

Because Reborn cared for him, he loved him. And that was more than enough to help him go through anything the mafia throws at him.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it ~ !**

 **This has been challenging yet fun to write :3 I hope you guys enjoyed the ride even though I didn't really update regularly XP**

 **BTW, I'm posting another story. Ya'll remember when I asked you whether ya'll preferred Dark!TenthGen or Daddy!Reborn? Well then, most answered with Dark!TenthGen so your wish is my command! I hope you support my new story,** _In the Shadows_ **. I'll try to update it regularly and just do my best. I've been in a very dark mood lately so it shouldn't be too hard :3**

 **I would like to thank you all for supporting** _Do You Care?_ **and special thanks to MonaTheWeirdo for helping me out along the way! I appreciate it ! :D You've ll been lovely and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

 **And so, for one final time, Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


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